Who is running for mayor in Summerside

Longtime Summerside mayor Basil Stewart is back again in the 2022 municipal election and, like last time, he'll have two people running against him: Dan Kutcher and James Ford.

These are the three candidates registered with Elections P.E.I. to be on the ballot come Nov. 7.

We sent them a questionnaire highlighting just some of the major issues facing the city now and into the future.

Here are their answers in alphabetical order by candidate name.

Basil Stewart

CBC News will update this section when the candidate questionnaire is submitted. 

Dan Kutcher

What is your plan to address the lack of housing in the City of Summerside?

Too many people in Summerside can't afford a house or the cost of rent, if they can even find a place to live. This is a huge problem. Until we have exhausted all the ways our city can create more attainable housing and lower rent, we have more work to do. I will create and chair a mayor's task force for attainable housing and fair rent within my first 100 days in office. The task force will be made up of local experts from our community and people living on the front lines of this crisis. It will put all of the options and ideas available to our city on the table that could impact housing supply and lower the cost of rent, such as more inclusionary zoning practices, land trusts, block housing, a housing authority, etc. The task force will gather community input, experience, data, facts and best practices. Public recommendations will inform a Summerside housing action plan that I will ensure gets put into action and that delivers more attainable housing for everyone.

What needs to be done to bring more business and activity to Summerside's downtown core?

Our historic downtown core must be the place for people to eat, shop, drink, visit and gather! It is full of potential and opportunity, but it is going to take commitment, vision and leadership to make it happen. When I opened South Central Kitchen & Provisions, I put my own money, sweat and hard work where my mouth was: in our downtown. I took a vacant building and turned it into a destination, because a vibrant downtown can lift a community up. It can bring people together with shared experiences that create new memories and remind us of old ones. Now I want to use the tools at city hall to bring make our downtown the place to go: to support the entrepreneurs and leaders who are making things happen there; to empower new businesses to expand there; to make spaces that are more enjoyable to meet and gather. I will revive our urban core plan and do the heavy lifting to ensure our historic downtown is a vibrant, thriving, and fun place to live, work, and gather in the years ahead.

How can the city build upon its sports fields, parks and green space?

Our city has done a good job with our green spaces, sports fields and parks. Rotary Park, the ball fields at the QEP, pickle ball courts, the boardwalk among others are all vital to the infrastructure of our city. People benefit when we have accessible and free public places for them to gather and play. It is in those places that new friendships are made and community spirit thrives. Going forward, we need to ensure that our green spaces meet the needs of our changing community; that they are barrier free, accessible for everyone, have necessary infrastructure (i.e. public washrooms and bike racks) and support activities of our increasingly diverse population. I am also a strong supporter of a solid plan for the development of an active transportation network around our city. We must give people safe non-car options to move around our city — whether that be on a bike, in a wheelchair, on your feet, scooters, roller blades etc. by ensuring our streets are for everyone.

How can the city better prepare for major storms like Fiona?

Summerside did well repairing and putting the pieces back together after Fiona. I think we are all proud of how well our electric utility got the lights back on and our line crews and clean up teams deserve a lot of praise. The community spirit and camaraderie that makes Summerside special was on full display after Fiona. We should all be proud of that. But, whenever there is a crisis, there are always lessons to learn and new preparations to make. The fact is, there will be more frequent and more severe storms in our city in the years ahead and we need to plan for that. This could take many forms including assessment of trees for potential future damage, storm surge protections and build requirements, placing critical electrical infrastructure underground, better emergency shelter co-ordination and ongoing thorough maintenance of our electrical grid and support systems.

Why are you the best choice for mayor?

That isn't for me to answer. The people of Summerside will make that decision. I want to be your mayor because I care about this community and the people we share it with. I am proud to call Summerside home. My years of experience as a lawyer, entrepreneur, in government and as a volunteer have given me the tools to do this job well. I have the energy, optimism, and track record of putting in the hard work needed to get things done. I have earned a reputation here as someone who is fair, honest, open and empathetic. Don't take it from me! Go ask anyone who I have worked with or volunteered with and see what they think. I am approachable, accountable and prepared. I have both my heart and my mind focused on creating real positive change for everyone who lives, works, retires, and raises their families here in the beautiful City of Summerside. This election is about the future of our city and the people we share it with. Please join me. Join us. It is Time for Change.

James Ford

What is your plan to address the lack of housing in the City of Summerside?

To lower property tax on all current housing that is used for affordable housing and to look into building affordable housing units either through incentives to developers or through direct action by the city.

What needs to be done to bring more business and activity to Summerside's downtown core?

To increase economic activity in the downtown core we must first ensure that there is adequate parking for both vehicles and bicycles, do away with the place of amusement license the city requires in, order to make it easier for bars and amusement venues to operate and petition the provincial government to lower sales and income tax so people have more money to spend.

How can the city build upon its sports fields, parks and green space?

Currently the city already has excellent and modern sports facilities and should be of little priority for the city to build more. Our green spaces such as Heather Moyse and friendship park can be improved by relocating its current homeless populations into shelters and rehab facilities and focusing on the socioeconomic factors that drove them there so they are not forced to return.

How can the city better prepare for major storms like Fiona?

Summerside's response to Fiona was excellent, largely due to the fact that Summerside operates its own power utility and was able to restore power and normalcy to day-to-day operations very quickly in relation to the rest of the province. The one area I believe we could have improved upon would be to have an emergency shelter such as the Credit Union Place with cots and warm food on standby and ready before the storm hit. Fiona happened at a warm-ish time of year so people were fine without power for a few days, but I remember the ice storm in 2018-2019 that knocked power out for days in the middle of winter and no emergency shelter was available and that can be a very dangerous situation if we are not prepared for it.

Why are you the best choice for mayor?

I have no ulterior motives financial or otherwise that are above the well being of the people. I own no businesses and have no real connections with the the current established powers that be. I have no interest in plundering the treasury like so many politicians have done before and unlike my counterparts I am part of the Summerside working class. I represent the 90 per cent of people who get up in the morning and go to work. I am not a lawyer or a landlord or anything other than a worker who understands the reality that the people of Summerside face. I am 27 with three children, my family has been in Summerside or the surrounding areas for close to 200 years, this is my home and if things go south you won't see me running away or packing my bags and leaving; I am all in on Summerside.